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Loveland City Council votes to move ahead on development of municipal broadband network

The measure will allow staff to calculate cost

By Julia Rentsch

Reporter-Herald Staff Writer

Posted:
02/06/2018 10:15:08 PM MST

The Loveland City Council voted Tuesday on four measures allowing the city to move forward with the development of a municipal broadband network per the recommendations of the Loveland Broadband Task Force. The measures to gather more information will be pursued with appropriation of $2.5 million from the general power fund.

The task force recommended that the city pursue a community broadband network through a retail — or utility — model or through a public-public partnership model, though it also said that no efforts to begin the planning preclude future options for the city to partner with public or private entities.

The cost estimate includes $2.2 million for "a build-ready design suitable for solicitation of network construction bids and development of cost information suitable for acquiring a bond offering," according to a council memo. The additional $300,000 will be for professional services to support the actions of the recommendation, including development of a detailed business plan, education and outreach, and evaluation of financing options.

The vote will also formally transition the existing Broadband Task Force into a city commission.

Councilors emphasized during discussion that a decision to begin a city utility would be the most important decision they would ever make as elected officials, but noted that was not the purpose of this vote.

City staff reworked the language of a resolution live in front of council to model a proposed amendment to require a public vote on a broadband utility, potentially in November. The addition of the amendment was supported by councilors Don Overcash of Ward IV, Dave Clark of Ward IV, Steve Olson of Ward III and Jeremy Jersvig of Ward I, but the measure was voted down.

Olson said it would be "unconscionable" for council not to support going to a public vote, and Jersvig agreed.

"We're talking the vote that could make or break our city," Jersvig said. "It's too big for 9 people."

But, the majority of the councilors said they wanted to stop the delay on bringing forth a fix for Loveland residents' internet connectivity problems.